The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1887-12-21
paid $4,000 of the s2os, 900 paid to the


, paid 100000 of the $2O8, 900 paid to til
State.
Mr.. Haskell produced the report O
the Comptroller General, showing tho
the five companies named had paid S195,
600, leaving $l3, 600 to be accounted TO
otherwise.
DIR. Pope said he had been misin
formed, but it made no difference in th
argument. He opposed this monopoly
and opposel it in tho interest of tn
farmers of the State.
The bill was further discussed b,
Alessrs. Miller of Beaufort, Maher o
Barnwell and Wilson of York, in favor
and by Mr.. Ansel of Greenville in oppo
sition.
DIR. Pope then moved to indetinitel,
postpone the whole matter. This mo
tion was adopted by vote of 72 to 81
motion to reconsider was tabled by
vote of SO to 46-thus buryjng the bill
quite out of sight.
THE RAILROAD SwITCu BILL,
as it is called, passed the House afte,
some little struggle. This measure, il
substance, requires every railroad com.
pany to "switch Off and deliver" to con.
Meeting roads cars consigned to parties
beyond such lines. The object of the
bill is to give shippers or consignees the
choice between different lines, and to
compel the railroads to recognize this
choice.
LOCAL TAXES FOR SCHOOLS.
Tho House has passed the bill to fa.
cliitate the formation of new school dis
trlcts. 1t provides as follows:
|. Each city, town or incorporated
village III the State desiring to obtain the
benefits of the Act is hereby declared to
be school district, with the power TO
levy and collect q special tax not exceed
ing two mills, subject to the following
provisions:
2. The school trustees shall at any
time previous to the Both of June of
each year, upon the written request OF n
majority OF tho real estate owners, issue
u call for meeting, after one week s no.
tlce, of all those citizens who return real
or personal property in said district.
The persons entitled to vote in said meet
ing shall have the power, among other
things, to decide whether, in addition to
the amount of the constitutional tax ap .
portionea to the uso of tho schools, it is
deemed cxpedicnt to levy an additional
tax, not exceeding two mills, for the pay
of teachers salaries, or the building and
Improvement of schoolhouses, or for in
cidental expenses
3. Specific instructions are given to
auditors and treasurers as to the method
OF logying and collecting tho tax thus
voted. The Act, of course, does not
affect school districts heretofore created
by special enactment.
FUNDING THE DEBT.
Tho bill to fund the State bonds and
stocks maturing next July caused some
debate in the House-chiehy upon the
matter OF the rate of interest Some
members favored 5 per cent, some A
and some 1. The 4 per cent. rate was
final Ily adopted by heavy votJ. The
bonds arc to run forty years.
THE APPROPRIATIONS.
The general appropriation bill, as re-
ported by tho Ways and Means Commit
tee, appropriates as follows:
Executive Department 3 58, 97O
judicial Department . 56, 750
Health department. ......... $3.50
lax department. t............ %, 600
University Department .... 53, 700
Penal and Charitable Institu-
tons. .......... ........ 100, 935
miscellaneous. ....... ........, LOG, 300
Interest on Public Debt. ... 10000
Total ....... ,.......... 1907, 205
The Legislative appropriation bill,
which provides for the payment of the
per diem, mileage and stationery certif-
Gates of the members and officers of the
General Assembly. the expenses of the
engrossing department., etc., passed it's
second reading without debate or COM
ment. This is one measure that is never
obstructed by anybody in either branch
of the Assembly. 1t appropriates the
total sum of Si2,980.
OTHER MATTERS.
Quite debate arose in the House on
the bill to give tho trial justices jurisdic-
ton over cases of petit larceny. An hour
was spent in the discussion and the bill
was passed with but one dissenting voice.
Mr.. Raysor thenAgot up another bill Civ
ing trial justices jurisdiction in cases of
receiving stolen goods of the value Of
twenty dollars or under. This was passed
without discussion
The bill making Sumter CITY was
passed to third reading.
The bill by Mr.. Pope. to carry into
effect Article TO- Section 3, Of the Con.
stitution, in regard to FREQ schools, was
indefinitely postponed.
Several bills wero passed without dis.
cussion: 70 reduce the number of trial
justices in Kershaw county; to author
ize the county commissioners of Ker-
shaw to borrow money for school pur-
poses; to provide salary of 5000 for the
probate Judge of Fairfield.
The bill to abolish the Office of SUI
perintendent Of highways, and to de-
volve the duties thereof on the county
commissioners, was indefinitely post
poned.
A bill to empower the Charleston, Gin
cinnati and Chicago Railway Com pany
to mortgage its property was passed.
The bill to allow sheriffs So per day
for actual attendance upon the sessions
of the Circuit Courts in their respective
counties was passed after hot debate.
Ajoint resolution proposing an amend
ment to Article of the Constitution
passed. The resolution gives probate
judges jurisdiction in all matters tesla